Sprouting For Life

Good day, gentle readers. I hope you have been outside enjoying the sunshine today! Out here on the 'wet coast' we dont get to see the sunshine nearly as often as we would like to. So here is a way to bring a little life right into your kitchen. Sprouting! Yesterday I decided to begin my journey into sprouting. I went down to the local health food store to see what offerings they had for me. It wasnt long and I found myself walking through the doors of Surrey Natural Foods, on King George Hwy, in Surrey, BC Canada. I had only to walk in the door, and as my gaze fell upon hundreds of interesting and unknowable goodies, I am certain that my expression of perplexity gave away my beginner status as a sprouting Diva. ( haha!get it? lol) At any rate, a friendly face, and a warm hello from the guy behind the counter, and a kind lady by the name of Alba, came to my rescue as I stared in blank confusion at the amazing collection of everything herbal that comprised thier stocked shelves, nooks and crannys. I was so glad I had Alba to lead me around the store and show me around. She took her time asking me what it was I was looking for- my health goals, and what I wanted my end results to be. We talked about many things yesterday, but at no time did I feel she was in a hurry to go do something else. She truly made me feel like I was not only in good hands, but everyone there seemed to truly want to help me, help myself. I could have spent days, ( no, I mean DAYS) in there, learning about everything they offer, from the commonplace herbs and supplements, to sprout seeds, and exotic and colourful bits of this and that. If you need something health related- chances are you will find it here, and if not- they will not hesitate to either order it in for you, or to help you locate what you are looking for somewhere else. I left the store with a light heart and in wonderful anticipation of my sprouting journey. I purchased a bag of Hemp Nuts ( really, hemp 'nuts' are really just hemp seeds with the hulls removed- and are they delicous!) a small box of Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wah'), which is an ancient grain, a small bag of green organic lentils, a smaller bag of chia seeds ( I am not sure I'm sold on this one yet- I just bought a sample bag to try out and I will keep you posted on that one) and a half pound bag of mixed sprouts called " A-Go-Go Organic Sprouting mix"  including  the seeds of: alfalfa, red clover, red radish, mustard and fenugreek. My family really have enjoyed radish sprouts, and we are a group that can take some heat/spice in our food, so this was a good option for my first taste of sprouting, since I will get to try a few different items at one time. It should make for some lovely salad topping.....Come on sprouts......hurry up and- sprout! :) I also have a small bag of green mung beans that I started the other day. I bought them whole in the bulk section of my local mega-mart, and you can too. Just look for food grade whole seeds. (Unless you are into organic all the way. Then head off to Surrey Natural Foods for all your organic needs.)
   All in all, I would say that I enjoyed my time at SNF, and I think the staff there are very knowledgeable and helpful, and I will definately go back. If you would like to watch the youtube video of my first jump into the sprouting pool- click the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEKNnyqGwN8&context=C3dae743ADOEgsToPDskKaXBuNvpPBUlYgtChW3hGb

So until next time, my lovely sprout-brothers and sisters- keep on sprouting!
SurreySproutQueen

March 5 2012

Howdy, Folks!!

     Welcome to SurreySproutLife!!
This blog is all about healthy living. You will find recipes, ideas, tips and tricks on living a healthier, more vibrant life. This is my journey into living better, eating healthier, and where possible, using living, organic foods. I don't pretend to know everything- far from it! But I am making it my business to know what goes into the foods I prepare, serve, and eat at home.  Many years ago when my daughter was born, I discovered she was alleric to milk. She had to go on soy formula, and what an amazing diference it made! She went from screaming 24 hours a day ( and i DO mean 24 hours a day) to being the happiest, most contented baby I had ever seen!
Fast forward a few years and the rash she got every now and then blossomed into eczema/psoriasis/some unknown dermatitis. ( doctors argued about an official diagnosis) However, her skin did not care what diagnosis it got- it was just angry, red, swollen, dry, and itchy- and the child suffered.
It was about that time that I learned that fabric softeners and laundry detergent are the  number one  cause of these types of skin conditions, so I did what any mother would do- I learned to make it myself from scratch, using natural products ( that are very earth friendly as well) and found amazing results! It took about 2 or 3 weeks, but slowly but surely, the rash went away. To my knowledge, it has never returned, and with any luck, it never will again. After that, I started making my own bath/body, and home care products out of natural ingredients that will neither hurt my child, nor the earth we live on. These products will  soon be made available on this site, to you, my gentle readers. Fllow me on my journey into sprouting- growing living, healthy foods  that nourish the body and soul. Let us share knowledge, support each other and the earth, and do what we can to live, love, and laugh a little better this year than we did the year before.
Your comments, ideas, questions or suggestions are always welcome here, and I will do my best to respond to each and every one. Thank you for your support, and your continued efforts in leaving this world a little better than we found it, and with hopes for much laughter and love along the way.
Namaste